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Chong Wei, Lin Dan win, but three youngsters knock out stars

KUALA LUMPUR: Veterans Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and Lin Dan of China flexed their muscles to reach the quarter-finals of the US$1.2mil South Korea Open in Seoul yesterday.
But three youngsters – Kenichi Tago of Japan and China’s Wang Zhengming and Du Pengyu – seized the limelight when they knocked out three China stars – Chen Long, reigning champion Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai respectively – in the second round.

Tago battled for one hour and 29 minutes to break the resolve of fourth-seeded Chen Long for a 20-22, 23-21, 21-16 win.

Pengyu and world junior champion Zhengming, however, did not face much resistance in their matches. Pengyu ousted Chunlai 21-16, 21-13 and Zhengming overcame Chen Jin 21-11, 21-14.
This has led to speculation that Chunlai and Chen Jin pulled their punches to allow their juniors to go through.
In today’s quarter-finals, Pengyu will face Tago while Zhengming has a tricky match against Chong Wei.
Yesterday, Chong Wei ripped South Korean Park Sung-hwan apart for a 21-14, 21-9 win in just 35 minutes.

National coach Teh Seu Bock was happy with the transformation in Chong Wei’s game.
Just a day earlier, the Malaysian was slow off the mark before finally prevailing against Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen.

“I am happy with his condition here. He is a bit tired as he is coming into his third tournament this month. But I am happy that he is able to showcase the qualities in his game,” said Seu Bock.


The coach, however, was sceptical with the outcome of match between Zhengming and Chen Jin, saying: “I think Chen Jin is not prepared to face Chong Wei yet.”

The other quarter-final matches today will see Lin Dan facing Indonesian Taufik Hidayat and Denmark’s Peter-Gade Chris­tensen is up against a resurgent Simon Santoso of Indonesia.

So far, Lin Dan has not shown any signs of the back injury that resulted in him conceding a walkover in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Open last week.

Yesterday, he took only 27 minutes to record a 21-9, 21-12 win over Marc Zwiebler of Germany.
Meanwhile, it was all over for Malaysia’s Wong Mew Choo when she ran out of steam against top seed Wang Xin, losing 16-21, 9-21 in the women’s singles second round.

Second round results
MEN
Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Park Sung-hwan (Kor) 21-14, 21-9; Wang Zhengming (Chn) bt Chen Jin (Chn) 21-11, 21-14; Kenichi Tago (Jpn) bt Chen Long (Chn) 20-22, 23-21, 21-16; Peter-Gade Christensen (Den) bt P. Kashyap (Ind) 21-16, 21-13; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Wong Wing Ki (Hkg) 19-21, 21-18, 21-17; Lin Dan (Chn) bt Marc Zwiebler (Ger) 21-9, 21-12; Du Pengyu (Chn) bt Bao Chunlai (Chn) 21-16, 21-13; Simon Santoso (Ina) bt Rajiv Ouseph (Eng) 21-19, 21-15.
Doubles: Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) bt Naoki Kawamae-Shoji Sato (Jpn) 21-10, 21-10; Fang Chieh-min-Lee Sheng-mu (Tpe) bt Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan (Chn) 21-18, 19-21, 21-11; Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang (Kor) bt Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-18, 21-18; Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock (Mas) bt Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) 21-18, 21-12; Ko Sung-hyun-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) bt Robert Blair-Flandi Limpele (Sco-Ina) 18-21, 21-15, 21-16; Mads Conrad-Petersen-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) bt Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) 21-18, 17-21, 21-13; Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) bt Chris Adcock-Andrew Ellis (Eng) 21-12, 21-10; Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Hong Wei-Shen Ye (Chn) 25-23, 11-21, 21-19.

Matches involving Malaysians in other events
Women’s singles: Wang Xin (Chn) bt Wong Mew Choo 21-16, 21-9.


By RAJES PAUL


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